


The Walking Dead One Shots

by pandasfandomstories



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 23:31:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12376386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandasfandomstories/pseuds/pandasfandomstories
Summary: This is where you will find all of my Walking Dead one shots! Some were requested, some weren't.





	1. Welcome Home (Rick Grimes x Reader)

**Author's Note:**

> This first story ended up turning into a full story! You can read it on my page as well!

You had been on the road for about two weeks now. You were with a group of people from your town, but when a herd hit, you got separated. Your backpack full of canned foods and water had dwindled down to a can of peaches, and about a third of water left in one bottle. You needed to find supplies, and you needed to find them fast.

The Georgia heat was slowing you down, and you took your flannel off, tying it around your waist. Just as your legs started to buckle underneath you, you spotted a large field with a small farm house on the other side. You smiled and looked up to the sky, winking some towards the heavens. You mustered up enough strength to get to the house. As you got there, you sat on the porch and rested your legs, before checking out the inside to see if walkers were inside.

When you got some more strength in you, you stood up and peered into the dusty windows. No one seemed to be in the house, but you wanted to be sure. You walked around the house to the back door and pried it open with a rusted hammer that was left in the yard. You got the door open, and took the hammer and knocked on the wall four times and waited. After about ten minutes and no sign of walkers or people, you stepped inside to check the house. It was a bit run down, but you were in no position to turn down a place to rest. You heard a low rumble of thunder, and decided to use the rain to your advantage. You placed a few water bottles outside to catch the falling rain. After you did that, you got a rock with some mud on it and wrote the words “DEAD INSIDE” on the door. This was your tactic to lead any other living people away from you. You hated being alone, but after your last run in with other living people, you weren’t in the mood to add to your group.

As the storm died down, you went to collect your half-full water bottles. As you made your way inside, you heard a loud thud upstairs. It was enough to make you grab for the knife on your hip, dropping one of the bottles and making a crinkling noise. You muttered some profanities under your breath and looked around the kitchen wall to the staircase. As you made your way upstairs, your heart was racing a mile a minute. You weren’t sure what was up there, and if it was alive or dead.

When you made it to the bedroom that the sound came from, you took a deep breath and bit your bottom lip. You poked your head inside and didn’t see anything but an open window. You hadn’t paid much attention when you searched the rooms earlier, so you weren’t sure if it was open when you went up there.

           You walked over to the window and shut it carefully. Before you turned around, you heard a raspy voice speak, causing a chill to go down your spine.

           “Don’t move.” The man spoke. “Drop the knife, and turn around slowly with your hands up.” He ordered.

You weren’t one to protest, and you were always one to try and avoid conflicts. When you heard the click of a gun being prepared to shoot, you went into negotiation mode. “Alright, I’m going to set my knife on this table here, and then turn around.” You say and slowly set your knife on the side table underneath the window.

           “Hands up, and turn around. Don’t think I won’t shoot you.” The man spoke, with a strong southern drawl.

           “Just take it easy. I’m not going to try anything.” You assured the man. You turned slowly with your hands up. Your eyes went across the floor and looked at the man in front of you, from his boots all the way up his black jeans and white t-shirt. You looked up his stubbly chin and to his piercing blue eyes which were focused on you.

           When the man saw you, he softened his expression slightly. You must have looked weak, because he lowered his gun after he looked you up and down. “Are you alone?” he asked in a slightly less threatening tone.

           You nodded, keeping your hands up. “I lost my group in a herd. I checked this house and it’s clear. Any food they had is in my bag and if you’re willing to let me go, I’ll give you half.” You bargained.

           He lowered his gun all the way, and took a step forward towards you. “I’m going to check you for any other weapons.” He said.

           You allowed him to pat you down, as you stayed silent. When his hands brushed over your outer thigh, you let out a wince which caused him to immediately straighten up and look you in the eyes.

           “Are you bit?” he asked with a tone of urgency in his voice.

           You shook your head quickly, “No, no I’m not bit. I got caught in some barbed wire and cut my leg about a week back. It’s just tender.” You told him. “I’ll show you, but you should at least buy me dinner first.” You joked. Your strong suit was always making light of serious situations, and you hoped it didn’t bite you in the butt this time.

           He nodded, ignoring your joke. “I believe you.” He said. “You’re all alone and you only got a knife on you?” he asked as he moved to pick it up off of the table to examine it. “A crappy one at that.” He added.

           “I don’t know how to use a gun, and that was all I could find at my last camp.” You said.

           He nodded and handed the knife to you. “You should learn to shoot. It’ll do you some good in case of large herds.” He said. “What’s your name?” he asked.

           You held your hand out to him carefully and told him, introducing yourself. Something about him felt warm, now that he didn’t have a gun on you.

           He shook your hand firmly, “I’m Rick.” He said. “So you have no place to go, no gun, and a backpack full of food?” he asked.

           You nodded, feeling like you were being scolded by your father. “I thought that would be enough.” You said softly.

He watched you for a few moments, until his thought was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder which caused you both to tense up. “Well I’m not travelling in that and neither are you. We’ll wait until it passes and then figure something out.” He said and led you downstairs.

You watched him walk and found yourself feeling glad that he came in. You’re not sure how or when he got in, but you were glad he was there. You both spend the next two hours getting to know each other, or as much as you would tell one another. You were quite guarded, and you could tell he was pretty careful as well. You found out that he was a sheriff, and that he had a son and a baby girl. You told him that you were separated from your group in a herd, and that you had had a run in with a rough group that you almost didn’t get out of. You felt comfortable with Rick, and you even got a few smiles out of him. Part of you hoped that he would invite you back to his group with him, but you weren’t going to hold your breath.

When the rain stopped, you both got your things, and went outside. You grabbed a bag from inside the house, and started splitting your food and water, to give him half. Just as you started taking cans out of your bag, you felt a hand on your shoulder, causing you to look up at Rick.

           “I know you said you could handle yourself, but I can’t let myself let you go out there by yourself.” He said.

           “Rick, I’ll be okay. I don’t have much to add to your group, I can’t even shoot a gun.” You reminded him.            

           He smiled softly, “I can show you. We have a place, a guarded place. There’s food, water, showers, doctors, other people. Good people.” He added. “We can find a place for you.”

You thought for a moment, and didn’t know what to do. This man was offering you a safe place. You hadn’t seen this type of kindness in a long time, and all you could do was throw your arms around his neck and hug him as tight as you could.

           Stumbling back a bit, Rick wrapped his arms around your waist, hugging you back. He put a hand on the back of your head gently. “I’m gonna take care of you.” He promised.

           You nodded and pulled back to meet his gaze. “Thank you. I’ll pull my weight I swear. You won’t ever have to ask me to do something twice.” You said quickly.

           “I know you will. Let’s get moving, it’s gonna be dark soon.” He said and grabbed your backpack to carry for you.

           You touched his arm gently, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Rick.” You said simply, but sincerely.

           He smiled, nodding to your thanks. “You’re welcome, ma’am.” He winked.

You both headed across the field, and towards the place Rick had called Alexandria. The entire way there, you two talked, and you got him to open up more to you. As the sun began to set, you came upon the gates surrounding Alexandria.

Rick looked over to you and smiled warmly. “Welcome home, Y/N.”


	2. Something Lost, Something Gained (Rick Grimes x Reader)

You had gone on a run with Rick, Glenn, Daryl, and your best friend. You were all gathering supplies inside of a small convenient store. There wasn’t too much left, but what was left was going to be coming back to camp with your group.

Your friend went to one section, while Daryl kept watch. Glenn checked out the front of the store, while you and Rick went to the stock room. Rick took you and your friend in about two months before, after you two were abandoned by your group. You and Rick bonded rather quickly and you would do anything for him, as he would for you. You felt like if there weren’t dead people walking the world, you could see yourself being with him. Of course there were dead people walking the world, and there were more important things to deal with than relationships.

Rick checked the stock room to make sure it was clear, before letting you inside after him. He was protective like that, and made sure that if there was the tiniest hint of danger, he was there to save you. You followed him inside and checked the almost empty shelves.

           “There’s some canned food, and it looks like maybe a first aid kit.” You noted out loud. You ran a hand over the shelf in front of you and then wiped the dust onto your jeans.

           Rick nodded and gathered the cans. He smirked seeing a few cans of fruit cocktail, knowing that they were your favorites. He stuffed them into his bag, and met you at the door. “Got everything?” he asked.

           You nodded “Yes sir. I even grabbed some bandages that were left behind. I figured there’s always a reason for them-“ Your words were cut off when there was a loud crash, followed by gun fire and screaming.

Both of your eyes darted to the front of the store. Daryl had his crossbow pointed at the group of shelves that your friend was cleaning out. Your eyes followed his aim and saw a group of walkers who had broken out of the closet they were barricaded in. Your friend was shooting her gun frantically, as Glenn used his knife on the back of the group.

Rick pursed his lips before muttering something about the gunfire attracting more walkers. He handed his bag to you, and grabbed his machete to start taking out some of the group of walkers that were surrounding your friend.

You clutched the bag and felt your knees lock. You wanted to jump in and save your friend but something made you completely freeze. The world around you seemed to be in slow motion as you watched the men trying to take down the walkers. You snapped out of it when you heard a scream, and your eyes immediately went to your friend. You watched in horror as the teeth of a walker sunk deep into her shoulder.

She screamed a blood curdling screech, and Daryl tried to get the remaining walkers out of the way. Your friend went down and was immediately swarmed by the last four walkers. Daryl collected his arrows and shook his head at Rick. Glenn nodded and gave a somber look in your direction. Rick nodded and walked over, taking your arm gently.

           “We have to go.” He said, taking the bag. “I’m sorry.” He said softly.

You walked with the group while the walkers were distracted by your friend, whose screams were now dying down. Rick wrapped an arm around you as you all ran towards the woods behind the store. You all walked through the trees towards Daryl’s motorcycle and the truck you took from camp.

Daryl hopped onto his bike and watched you as you climbed into the pickup truck, sitting between Glenn and Rick, who was driving. Daryl gave a nod, and rode off towards the campsite.

The ride back was silent, mostly because neither Glenn nor Rick wanted to say anything to you. Rick wanted nothing more than to scoop you into his arms and tell you everything was going to be okay, even if he wasn’t sure. You stared at the road the entire time, and when the truck pulled up your actions shocked both of the men in the truck with you.

After Glenn got out, you scooted out and got the bag. “Is there anything else I can help with?”

Glenn looked at you, and shot a glance at Rick. “Uh, no I got it.”

You nodded and got the bag you had and headed towards the shed that your group had turned into a storage room.

Rick came in behind you, after a few minutes. “Y/N, listen there’s…” he started.

“Was there any baby food?” you asked, cutting him off.

Rick looked at you with a tint of sadness in his eyes. “No, there wasn’t. Look you can’t just avoid what happened back there.” He said, touching your arm.

“Shit happens.” You stated bluntly. You were trying your hardest to keep everything in and not break. You needed to move on.

He stared at you with a near worried expression on his face. He knew that this wasn’t you at all, but he wasn’t going to press the matter anymore. “Okay.” He said.

Rick helped you unload the food and supplies, and then went with Maggie to do a check of the perimeter. You took a deep breath and went to the kitchen where Carol had been preparing dinner.

After dinner, you went outside to do a check of the perimeter. You stopped at a grassy patch underneath a tree, and you sat down and began throwing your knife into the stiff ground in front of you. You yanked it out, and threw it right back into the ground. You kept up this pattern for at least fifteen minutes, before you heard a familiar voice approaching.

           “You know the ground didn’t do anything to you.” Rick joked, as he walked over to you.

           You looked up at him and stood up quickly. “I was just doing a check of the area, making sure it was secure.” You said fast. “I know it was Y/F/N’s job tonight but I figured I would take it over.” You said, your voice starting to trail. You felt it coming and knew there was no stopping it. You were breaking down.

           Rick looked at you with his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to study you.

           You felt tears welling up in your eyes. “I didn’t do anything to stop it.” You managed to choke out. “I just stood there and I let her get torn to pieces. She saved my life, and I just let her die.” You said, tears flowing steadily now.

           “No, sweetheart.” Rick said and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you against him in a tight hug.

           You held onto him as tight as you could, gripping his shirt until your knuckles turned white. You cried hard into his chest, letting everything out. He was the only one that you showed this type of vulnerability to.

           He held you close, and put one hand on the back of your head. He held you there letting you get things out. After a few minutes, he turned his head and pressed his lips into your hair, placing a kiss on your head. “You did what any normal person would do in that situation.” He said softly.

           You turned your head resting your cheek on his shoulder. “I should have jumped in there and saved her.” You said softly, almost as if you were thinking out loud.

           “No.” he said sternly. He held your shoulders gently and pulled away to look you in the eyes. “Listen to me, Y/N.” he said and put his hands on your cheeks, holding your face gently. “I’m glad you didn’t jump in there. You could have been hurt or…” he stopped himself and swallowed a lump in his throat. “I know that you’re hurt over losing her, but you came back and you’re here. You’re alive and you’re here with me.” He said.

           You looked up at him and reached up to touch his cheek. You had never thought of the day like that. He was right after all; you made it out and you were able to live on with the group, and more importantly, Rick. At this point, if you were to stop living your life, it would be a slap in the face to your best friend. “I am.” You said, responding to his last statement.

           He nodded, and pushed a stray piece of hair behind your ear. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” He said softly, barely above a whisper.

           You smiled softly, sniffling your sadness away. “Ditto.” You said, rubbing his cheek with your thumb. You wanted to plant a kiss on him right there, but you were afraid to push things too far.

           Rick must have felt the same, because he moved his gaze from your eyes to your lips, and moved in slowly. His lips met yours in a soft, but loving kiss. You wrapped your arms around his neck gently, and he moved his hands to your waist, pulling you closer. After a few moments of a sweet kiss, he rested his forehead against yours.

           “She would have wanted me to be happy. If she saw me crying she’d probably tell me to just buck up and move along.” You said, causing a smirk to form on Rick’s lips. He knew you were right.

           He nodded and kissed your head gently, pulling you into a hug. “Well I hope you’re happy with me, because I’m not lettin’ you go. Not a chance.” He said.

           All you could do was smile, placing a kiss on his neck, and returning the hug. “Let’s get back, we should get some sleep.” You said.

Rick nodded and walked back with you, not letting you drift even an inch from his side. When you went to bed that night, you ended up crawling into Rick’s bed beside him. You wrapped your arms around his waist and buried your face into his shoulder. As you dozed off, you felt his arms wrap around you, pulling you in close to him. Given the circumstances of the day, you slept as sound as you had in a long time. You were home, and you were happy. Just like your best friend would have wanted.


	3. Thank You (Daryl Dixon x Reader)

Your boyfriend Ian and you had been walking for what seemed like an eternity. Your camp had been overtaken by biters, and the two of you were the only ones to escape. Truthfully, you wished it had been you and anyone else in the group, but Ian sacrificed one of the group members to save his own skin. From the moment you left the camp with Ian, you felt they heavy weight of guilt on your shoulders. You knew that Ian could have saved more people, but he was only out for himself. If you were more confident in your self-defense skills and hunting skills, you would have ditched Ian a long time ago. You were convinced that you were only staying with him because he protected you, and hadn’t thrown you to the biters yet.

 As the two of you walked through a patch of trees, you heard a twig snap, followed by some growls and groans. You whipped your head around to see two biters heading towards you. They had already seen you both so you couldn’t hide. Ian raised his gun and shot his last three bullets at the biters, only hitting one of their arms. The noise alerted another two nearby, causing your heart rate to skyrocket. You looked to Ian for some idea of what to do, and his response did anything but shock you.

           “Good luck baby.” He said and shoved you into the biter that missed the bullets.

           “Ian!” you shrieked as you collapsed on top of the biter, holding it down and away from you. You looked back to see Ian sprinting away from the biters, leaving you to die. “Bastard!” you yelled to him before grabbing the pocketknife from your pocket. You flipped it open and drove it into the brain of the biter you were currently on top of.

 Ian was long gone now, and it was just you and three biters. You stood up quick and stabbed your knife into the one that Ian shot. As you tried to pull your knife out, the handle snapped off leaving you without a weapon. You were backed into a tree and held one biter off with your hands and saw the fourth biter staggering your way. You held the first one off with all of the strength you had left in you.

 Just as you were about to give in, the biter in front of you stopped moving, an arrow sticking out of its left eye. You let out a sigh of relief, and shoved the biter back onto the ground. You looked up and saw a rugged looking man in a black leather jacket, stabbing a knife into the fourth biter. He retrieved his arrow, and shook the blood off of his knife, looking up at you through his dark shaggy hair.

           “Are you bit?” he asked in a gruff tone.

           You stared at him for a moment before snapping out of it. “N-no I’m not bit.” You said.

           “What are you doin’ out here alone with no weapon?” he asked you, almost scolding you.

           You looked at him and bit your bottom lip. “I was with my boyfriend, but he bailed. I also had a knife, but it broke off in that biter.” You said, pointing to the biter lying on the ground by the man’s feet.

           “Some boyfriend.” He mumbled. “Were you in a camp or anything?” the man asked you, walking closer to you.

           You shook your head gently. “Well I was, we both were, but it got overrun. Now it’s just us. Well it was just us.” You said, rubbing your arm gently. It wasn’t too cold in Atlanta, but it was starting to transition into winter, and the shade of the trees around you certainly didn’t warm you.

           He nodded and looked you up and down quickly. “What’s your name?” he asked.

           “Y/N.” you said and held your hand out. Even in the apocalypse, you tried to hold some manners.

           “Daryl.” He said, shaking your hand gently. “Where were you headed?” he asked, slinging his crossbow onto his back.

           “We didn’t really have a plan, we were just heading East-ish.” You said.

           He nodded and looked at you for a moment, studying you. “I have a bike near the road, I can take you somewhere if you want.” He offered.

           “I can’t ask you to do that, you already saved my life.” You said.

           “You’re not askin’ I’m offering. I can’t live with myself if I just leave you out here.” He said. “Plus you look like you’re either going to freeze to death or starve. At least let me get you some supplies.” He said.

           You looked at him and gave a weak smile. “Thank you, Daryl.” You said softly.

 Daryl nodded to you and led you towards the road. He told you a little about his group, and you told him what had happened to your last camp. You admitted to him that you thought Ian was responsible for more death than he was saving people. Every time you mentioned Ian, you noticed Daryl’s entire demeanor change. His fist would clench, or his jaw would tighten. Daryl wasn’t what most women would call a heartthrob, but he was definitely a looker. He looked like he may have needed a shower, but he was cute.

 As you approached the road, you saw the motorcycle leaning against two large trees, covered by some branches and leaves. You crossed your arms across your chest and watched as Daryl unburied his bike.

           “Never seen a motorcycle before?” he teased.

           “No I’ve just never rode one before.” You noted.

           “Well it ain’t so bad.” He said. He stood it up and got it cleaned off a bit.

           “I imagine you’re an experienced driver, so I won’t be in too much danger.” You tried teasing back.

           Daryl smirked and nodded.

 The moment was interrupted by a large rock flying towards Daryl, hitting the tree next to him. You looked to where the rock had come from and saw Ian coming from the trees.

           “Just where the hell do you think you’re going?” he asked you, livid.

           “Ian…Daryl offered me a ride after you left me.” You said.

           Just as he got to you, he raised his hand to slap you across the face. Before he could even swing, Daryl had his crossbow pointed at his face.

           “You lay a finger on her, and you’re dead.” He said.

           Ian looked at him and shook his head. “Who the hell are you?”

           “He’s a friend, he saved my life.” You said.

           Daryl lowered his crossbow, seeing Ian step back. He glared at him, stepping forward. “You call yourself her boyfriend, then why the hell would you leave her out here to die? You know she can’t handle herself out here, and you ran off like some scared pussy.”

           You swallowed hard as you saw Ian getting angrier.

           Ian shook his head. “She had a knife and I was going to get us help.” He lied.

           “Bull. You can go find some other bait, Y/N is coming with me.” Daryl said.

           Ian looked at him and then at you. “Are you going to say anything?” he asked you.

           You looked at him and then at Daryl. You only met him ten minutes ago, but you trusted him. He saved your life and was offering you shelter. “I’m staying with Daryl.” You said.

           Ian shook his head. “Well I hope both of you get torn apart. Good riddance.” He mumbled as he walked to the road, heading the way you had originally been going.

           You looked at Daryl and bit your lip gently. “Thank you.” you said.

           He nodded. “That guy was a dick.” He said, rolling his bike to the road. “Before you get on, I need a favor.” He said.

           You followed him and nodded. “Sure.” You said.

           “Answer three questions.” He said, earning a nod from you. “How many walkers have you killed?”

           You thought for a moment before answering. “Um, twenty I think.” You said.

           He nodded and grabbed a helmet from the back of his bike, handing it to you. “How many people have you killed?” he asked.

           You took a breath before you answered this one. “One.” You said, looking at the helmet.

           “Why?” he asked softly.

           You looked at the helmet and then at Daryl. “He begged me to.” You said.

           He nodded. “You can come to my group. We’ve got a safe place, fenced in. There’s food, water, showers.”

           You looked at him and almost burst into tears. “Daryl thank you so much.” You said. “I’d hug you, but you don’t really look like you like those.”

           He smirked and held his arm out to you.

           You hugged him tightly, but didn’t linger. “Thank you.” you said again.

           “Hop on.” He said, getting onto his bike.

 You got on behind him and wrapped your arms around his waist. He revved the engine up, and sped off down the road. Not too far down, you saw two biters surrounding a body, picking at the meat. You noticed the body wearing the same jacket as Ian, and you felt a lump in your throat. If Daryl hadn’t saved you, you would be right there next to Ian, or what was left of him. Your grip tightened on Daryl’s waist, and you rode down the Atlanta roads to your new home.


	4. Home (Shane Walsh x Reader)

It had been about a month since you had last seen your group. You were with a group of people that you had met while they were on a supply run in Atlanta. Shane Walsh was the one who found you, and the one that you spent your first week with the group bickering with. Not long after Shane found you, the two of you realized that the reason the two of you bickered so much was probably because you were both crushing on the other one. You never acted on your crush because of your age, and Shane never acted on it because he was afraid of losing you. You wished that you could have told him how you felt then because you weren’t confident that you were going to ever see him again.

A month ago was when you were separated from the group. You had been on a supply run with Shane’s friend Rick, Glenn, and Daryl. When you were all approached by a horde of walkers in a warehouse, you tried to help by distracting them, only to be lost and left behind. The men you were with had a truck so there was no way that you could have caught up to them. Against your better judgment, you left the location you were at and started trying to find your way back to the camp. It turns out Shane and Rick came back to the warehouse to look for you, but you were off on your own.

You were losing energy and losing hope that you would ever see Shane or the rest of the group again. You found a little town that looked fairly vacant, but you were going to test your luck to see if you could find any food or water. You went into one of the stores and saw one walker stuck behind the counter. You walked up to it calmly and drove your knife into its skull, killing it. You looked behind the counter and saw a key to the back room. You went back and opened the door, finding a break room and a safe. You ignored the safe, figuring there was just money in there. You raided the break room and found a few cans of food and three bottles of water. You cracked one open and immediately guzzled the entire bottle. You wiped some water off of your chin with the back of your hand and let out a sigh. You had no clue how close or how far you were to the camp, or even if the group was there anymore. Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard the rumbling of an old pickup truck in front of the store. You grabbed the cans and water and put them into your backpack. You heard the door of the store open and you leaned against the wall next to the doorway. You clutched your knife tightly, waiting to see if you had to defend yourself.

           “This place looks cleared out already.” You heard a familiar male voice speak in the front of the store. It was Rick.

           You smiled and felt your eyes brimming with tears. You were found. You poked your head out and held your bag’s strap. “Rick?” you spoke out.

           Rick looked over at you and stared for a moment. “Y/N… you’re alive.” He said softly.

           “I am.” You said and walked over to him throwing your arms around his neck for a hug. You were relieved to be found and even more relieved that you were found by your people.

           Rick hugged you back, rubbing your back gently. “We came back to look for you but you were gone. You were right behind me and then I didn’t see you.” he said softly.

           “Rick don’t feel bad okay? I’m here now and you’re okay. Did you come out here alone?” you asked him.

           He shook his head quickly. “No I brought Daryl and Shane with me.” He said. “They’re right outside by the truck.

           Your heartbeat sped up a little when Rick mentioned Shane’s name. “Shane’s here?” you asked him.

           Rick nodded. “He never stopped looking for you, Y/N. He’ll be over the moon that you’re back.” He said smiling.

           “You go out there first, I’ll follow.” You said.

Rick nodded and made sure that you both grabbed everything you could. He put everything in your backpack and headed out towards the truck. You looked out one of the dirty windows and saw Shane standing by the truck. He was holding a bag over his shoulder and looked up at Rick.

           “Did you find anything in there?” Shane asked. You missed his voice so much.

           Rick nodded. “Yeah I found a lot actually. I found something that you’ll especially like.” He said.

           Shane looked at him. “Well where is it?” he asked Rick, noticing he didn’t have a bag with him.

Rick looked back at the door and you took that as your cue to come out. You took a deep breath and walked out of the shop and took a few steps towards the truck. You made eye contact with Shane and gave a weak smile.

           Rick smirked some and looked over to Shane. “I found her.” He said.

           Shane gave a quick smile and then it dropped. His eyes looked you up and down like he wasn’t sure that you were real.

           Before you got to the truck, Daryl came over with a bag of canned goods and a dead opossum slung over his shoulder. “Holy shit.” He said seeing you. “You’re alive.” He said and threw his findings into the bed of the truck. Daryl was never an emotional guy.

           You nodded and moved your attention back to Shane. His hands were in his pockets and he was staring at you.

           “Y/N…” he spoke softly.

           You nodded at him and walked closer. You stopped when you were about three feet away from him. Rick took your backpack and put it in the truck, giving you some time.

           Shane barely let the backpack leave your shoulders before he dropped the bag he had and ran over to you, scooping you up in a tight hug. “I thought you were gone I thought you got bit.” He said into your ear softly.

           You held onto him tightly and grasped onto his shirt like it was your job. “I came looking for you all. I just wanted to help them get out.” You said, feeling tears streaming down your cheeks.

           Shane pulled back just enough to cup your face in his strong, calloused hands. “Don’t ever do that again, please. I can’t stand to lose you again.” He said, his own eyes filling with tears. You had never seen him cry or even get close to it.

           “Never again, I’m not going anywhere.” You reassured him and wiped the stray tears that had fallen from his eyes.

           Shane nodded and leaned in, crushing his lips against yours. He put one hand on your hip and the other hand tangled in your H/C hair.

           You returned the kiss, holding his wrist in one hand and his collar in the other. When you pulled back for air, he kept his forehead pressed against yours. “I love you. I shouldn’t have waited so long to tell you. I love you with all of my heart.”

           Your knees went weak at the words that were finally coming out of his mouth. “I love you too Shane. I love you so much.” You said.

He smiled and pulled you into another hug. Rick cleared his throat and let you and Shane know that you all needed to head back to camp. You climbed into the truck, sitting between Rick and Shane. Rick waited for Daryl to hop into the bed of the truck, and then began driving back towards the camp. Shane had his arm around you the entire time, mindlessly drawing patterns on your arm with his fingertips. You listened to his heartbeat the whole drive, making sure you weren’t just dreaming. You were finally home.


	5. Dress Up (Daryl Dixon x Reader)

The cool fall breeze blew as you walked into an abandon lake house with Daryl. The two of you had been sent on a quick supply run to look for ammo, food, and weapons. Back at Alexandria, there were still enough supplies to tide you over for the winter, but Rick thought it would be wise to get some extras, in case of an emergency. He was fine sending just Daryl, but you insisted on going with him. You had been going a little stir crazy, and going on a supply run with Daryl seemed to be a pretty good time to get some air. Ever since the last run went bad, Rick and Daryl insisted on keeping you home for a while before letting you go back out. The run didn’t go too bad, but you were almost bit and twisted your wrist. It could have gone better, but you didn’t die, so you figured it was a good run. Daryl reluctantly let you come with him, even if he wanted you to stay put and stay safe.

The two of you walked into the house and saw that it looked like it hadn’t been touched since the start of everything. The house was a little hidden in the woods, so it was probably overlooked by people trying to get some stuff out of it. Daryl checked out the house to make sure it was clear, and then came back out to you.

           “Why don’t you look in the bedrooms upstairs, I’ll check the kitchen and the back room?” he said.

           You nodded and grabbed your backpack, heading up the creaky stairs.

You saw a guest room, a master bedroom, a bathroom, and an office. You took the guest room first and checked the drawers and closets. You didn’t find too much, so you headed into the bathroom to get any first aid supplies that were left behind. There was only a half empty box of Band-Aids, a bottle of peroxide, and a bottle of Aspirin. You shoved everything into your backpack and saw Daryl walking past into the guest room.

           “I already checked in there.” You told him, stepping into the hallway. “There wasn’t anything in there.” You assured him.

           He looked over his shoulder and nodded, heading into the master bedroom. “Did you look in here yet?” he asked.

           “No I got the first aid stuff out of the bathroom first.” You told him, heading into the bedroom to check the drawers and closet like you did in the guest room.

           After looking through the vanity, Daryl let out a sigh.

           You looked over at him, flipping through the closet. “You okay?” you asked him. The car ride here had been almost silent, so you were left to assume that Daryl was mad at you.

           He shook his head and sat down on the bed for a moment. “It’s not that I didn’t want you comin’ with me.” He said.

           You looked at him for a minute and then walked over, sitting on the bed beside him. “I know that. You just wanna keep me safe.” You said.

Daryl was the one to find you on a run, and he was the one to bring you back to the camp to join the group. The two of you became quite close, and you found yourself having a bit of a crush on him. There were times that you thought he might have the same feelings towards you, but you tried to tell yourself that he was just being nice. You knew that the only reason he was reluctant to bring you with was because he wanted to keep you safe back home.

           He nodded to you and looked at his hands. “That last run we went on was too close.” He said softly.

           “I know, but I’m okay now. I’m here with you, aren’t I? I’m not going anywhere.” You assured him, putting a hand on his arm gently. “Come on, let’s get the rest of the stuff here and head home, okay?” You knew Daryl wasn’t an emotional person, so you tried not to make him uncomfortable with a mushy talk.

           “Alright.” He said and stood up with you.

           You reached over to the bedside table and tried to open the drawer. You struggled with it a bit and sighed. “It’s jammed.” You said.

           Daryl looked at it for a moment and began shaking the drawer some. He got down on his knees and ducked under the table. “Bingo.” He said. He reached his arm underneath the table, and pulled a handgun off of the bottom of the drawer. “It was taped up under there.” He said, standing up.

           “Good catch.” You told him and went to the closet to double check in there. You saw some button down shirts and smiled to yourself. “You know maybe I should bring a few of these back for you to wear at dinner sometime.” You half joked.

           Daryl walked over and looked at the shirts. “No.” he answered, putting the gun into your backpack.

           “Come on, I’m sure you clean up pretty nice.” You told him. “Just one dinner?” you asked.

           “I’ll be cold and dead before I dress up.” He protested. “Come on, it’s startin’ to get dark.”

           “Alright fine.” You said and walked to the doorway, taking your backpack from him. “I think it would be nice to see you without all of the blood and grime.” You smirked.

           “You sayin’ I’m not an eyeful now?” he asked, a slight joking tone to his voice.

           You smiled and shook your head. “Daryl, you are my favorite person to look at, even all mucked up. I just think you’d clean up nice.” You winked and headed down the hallway to check the office.

You found a box of ammo in the desk drawer, so you shoved into your bag. You did a final sweep of the rooms upstairs and went downstairs thinking you’d find Daryl ready to go. You looked around and saw him coming down the stairs with a duffle bag.

           “Did you find something else?” you asked him.

           “Just some blankets and stuff. Figured we could use some, sleepin’ on the floor most nights.” He suggested.

           You nodded and walked to the car with him. As you put the bags in the trunk, you bit your bottom lip. “Daryl, I didn’t mean to make you feel ugly or anything.” You said softly. “I just feel like it would be nice to see what you looked like before this world got to you.” you said.

           Daryl looked up and nodded, giving a half smile. “Well maybe I was uglier back then.” He joked, smirking at you.

           You smiled and nudged his arm. “Come on, let’s go.”

Daryl drove the two of you back to camp and helped you carry the bags into Rick’s house to show him what you got. While he explained what you brought back, you headed next door to help Carol and Maggie with that night’s dinner. After everything was in the oven cooking, or on the stovetop, you headed to the house you shared with Tara, Eugene, Rosita and Abraham. You took a shower and put on a light blue top with black jeans on. You came downstairs and headed outside with everyone to head to Rick’s house for dinner. It was a bit of a tradition for everyone to sit down for one real dinner together, ever since the group got to Alexandria. It probably seemed a bit weird, but in the chaos of the world, it was good to have one night of normalcy.

You walked inside and looked around to see everyone there. Well, everyone but Daryl. You figured he wasn’t going to show up, since he rarely did. He would always be scouting or fixing his weapons. Part of you was hurt that he didn’t show up, but you brushed it away, trying to have a good time. After a little while, you walked over to Rick who was the last person to see Daryl.

           “Hey, is Daryl coming?” you asked him.

           Rick looked over at you, holding Judith in his arms. “I thought so. He said he had something to do, but he’d try to make it.”

           You nodded and looked at the door. No Daryl. You decided to help Tara set the table, and helped bring the trays of food out to the buffet in the corner of the dining room. You made sure that every dish had a utensil in it, and went into the kitchen to help bring plates out with Carol. You had your back to the door and made sure that every placemat had a plate and silverware.

           “Thank you for your help, Y/N.” Carol said, putting a hand on your arm and smiling.

           “No problem.” You said, smiling back at her.

           Everyone started to sit down at the two tables that were set up, and you heard the door. “I got it.” You said, walking to the entryway. You opened the door and your breath caught in your throat. If this was a cartoon, your jaw would certainly be on the floor.

           Daryl stood on the porch looking like a completely different person. He was so clean that you swear he was sparkling. He was in a pair of faded blue jeans, and a button down white shirt that you recognized from the house you searched earlier that day. Your eyes went to his feet which still had his dirty boots on them, and you looked all the way up to his hair which was clean and slicked back. You must have had quite a look on your face, because Daryl almost winced and rubbed the back of his neck.

           “It’s bad isn’t it?” he asked softly.

           You stared at him for a moment before smiling at him. “It’s not bad at all. Daryl you look…wow.” You said. You could actually see his eyes looking back at you. “You look great.” You told him.

           “As soon as this dinner is over, I’m burning these clothes.” He mumbled, trying to keep his tough guy exterior.

           You smiled and nodded. “Come on in we’re about to start eating.” You said, letting him in.

           He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. When he heard everyone talking amongst themselves, he started to tense up. “I can’t do this.” He mumbled.

           You touched his arm gently and smiled. “Yes you can. You’re Daryl Dixon, you can do whatever you want.” You reassured him. “Just breathe and stay by me okay?” you said, holding your arm out.

           He looked down at you and nodded, linking his arm with yours. He took a deep breath and walked into the dining room with you.

When the two of you entered the room, the talking stopped almost immediately. You felt Daryl’s arm tense in yours, and you touched his hand gently to let him know that it was okay.

           “Let’s eat.” You said to break the silence. You took a seat at the table, letting Daryl sit next to you.

           He sat down and cleared his throat. “What’s for dinner?” he asked.

           Rick smirked and spoke up, “Carol won’t tell us. She insists it’s a surprise.”

           Carol came out and smiled over at him. “Oh one surprise won’t kill you. Dinner is served.”

           Abraham stood up and nodded. “Ladies first.” He said.

All of the girls stood up to get their plates of food. You went last and before you stood up, Daryl squeezed your hand. You smiled over at him and nodded to him. “It’s okay.” You said softly, so that only he heard.

He gave you a nod and let you go get your food.

Once the initial shock of everyone seeing Daryl like this settled down, everyone was back to talking like usual. You talked with everyone and made sure to include Daryl in the conversations. After a little bit, he started to loosen up a bit and was even laughing and talking with everyone. You kept watching him and when he would catch you staring at him, he’d squeeze your hand under the table or wink at you.

After dinner, the adults started drinking a bit more and it wasn’t long before Daryl’s shirt was untucked and his hair started to come undone from his slicked back look. You helped Carol with the cleanup and headed back out into the dining room. You looked around at everyone and decided to step outside to get some air. You walked out onto the front porch and sat down on the steps. It was much quieter outside, but you could still hear the muffled voices from inside.

           You heard the front door open and then shut, followed by heavy footsteps behind you. You looked over and saw Daryl’s boots on the second stair, followed by the rest of him, sitting next to you. You smiled at him when he looked over at you. “Hey.” You said.

           He smiled back at you. “Hey yourself.” He said softly. “So are you happy now that you got to see me cleaned up?” he asked, nudging your arm gently.

           You smiled and nodded. “I am. You look good all the time for me, but it’s good to be able to see you.”

           He nodded and bit his bottom lip. “I was actually kind of hoping that seeing me like this might uh…might make you see me in a different light.” He said shyly, looking at his hands.

           Butterflies started fluttering in your stomach and you smirked, looking at him. “Daryl, if you’re hoping that this would make me like you it’s a little late for that bud.” You told him.

           He looked over at you and furrowed his brow. “Late?” he asked.

           “I’ve liked you for a while now, I just didn’t want to say anything because I thought that-.” Your words were cut off when Daryl’s lips were pressed onto yours.

           He kissed you for a moment, but just as you started to kiss back he pulled away. “I’m sorry.” He said and looked straight ahead of him. “I think I might have drank too much.” He said softly.

           You smiled and bit your bottom lip. “Don’t apologize. I wanted that too.” You said softly.

           He looked over at you. “Really?” he asked.

           You nodded. “Yeah, really.” You smiled and kissed him gently, putting a hand on his cheek.

           He kissed you back, putting his hand on yours and reaching his other arm around your waist. He broke the kiss to take a breath, but he rested his forehead on yours.

           You smiled and bit your lip gently. “We should get back inside.” You said softly.

           He nodded and pushed a stray wisp of hair behind your ear. “Can we continue this later?” he asked you.

           You smiled and nodded standing up with him. “Of course.” You said.

He smirked and put his arm around your shoulders, walking back inside with you. Even with the world in the state that it was in, you were glad to have at least one normal night. You were even more glad to have the night end like this; you finally had Daryl and he finally had you.


	6. Taking Chances (Shane Walsh x Reader) REQUESTED

In this new world, people were lucky if they could find a friend, let alone their family. You were lucky in that aspect because when the outbreak hit, you were able to escape with your mom, brother, and your dad’s friend Shane. You were eventually reunited with your dad, Rick, who everyone thought was dead.  As time went on, your mom spent less time with Shane and more time with your dad. This was fine with you because you had a bit of a crush on Shane. He would always goof around with you and give you a hard time. Even though you were only twenty-two years old, you could still see yourself being with Shane. Of course, dating in this world was an entirely different story, and you weren’t going to try and making dating the center of your life right now.

 One day after breakfast, you were helping Carol clean up the dishes and get the laundry ready. You were getting all of your clothes out of the tent you shared with Carl when you felt two large hands grab your arms from behind.

           You let out a yelp and turned around to see Shane smiling down at you. “Shane you scared the shit out of me.” You said.

           “Hey watch your language.” He smirked, trying to stifle a laugh.

           You smirked and shook your head. “You can’t tell me what to do.” You added, grabbing the basket of clothes.

           “But you like it when I do.” He winked at you.

           You smiled and shook your head. “In your dreams, Walsh.” You teased and walked over to Carol’s tent.

 Shane watched you as you followed Carol to Hershel’s house where he had a few basins where you could wash clothes. You sat on an old lawn chair next to Carol who was sitting on a tree stump. You each grabbed some clothes and started washing. The two of you made some small talk as you both cleaned the clothes. Eventually the conversation shifted to something that you deeply wanted advice on.

           “Can I ask you something, Carol?” you asked as you scrubbed one of your dad’s shirts. You had absolutely no idea how his shirts always got so dirty, but they did.

           “Sure.” She smiled over at you. “What’s on your mind?”

           You bit your bottom lip and then sighed softly. “Well can you promise that you won’t repeat anything I say here to my parents?” you asked.

           Carol looked at you and nodded. “I promise. As long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else.” She said, her maternal side showing.

           You nodded. “I think I’m in love with someone.” You said. “He’s older than me but I would like to think I’m mature enough to be with him if he felt the same way. I just don’t know if it’s really worth it to try these days, you know?”

           Carol smiled softly and nodded. “Well it all depends on how you want to live this new life. If you want to keep hope alive and hold onto as much normalcy as you can, then talk to Shane about it. If you want to live without taking chances, then don’t talk to him about it. Judging by the way he acts around you, I’m almost positive that he likes you too.” She said.

           You looked at her for a moment before you realized something; you never said that you were talking about Shane. “How did you know I was talking about Shane?” you asked.

           “I’m a mom, Y/N. Plus it’s not like the two of you keep it under wraps.” She smiled as she cleaned the clothes in her basin.

           You looked over at her and smiled shaking your head. “How long have you known this?”

           “Pretty much since the day your dad came back.” She smiled.

           You shook your head and smiled. “Great.” She said.

 The two of you continued to talk and wash clothes for a little while before a familiar face showed up next to you both. Shane stood there with his thumb looped into his front pocket.

           “Hey, Shane.” Carol smiled up at him.

           “Carol.” He nodded to her. “Y/N, can I borrow you for a little bit? I’ve got something I need some help with.” He said.

           “I can help you after the laundry.” You started.

           “I can handle the laundry.” Carol smiled over at you. “You go help Shane, I’ve got it covered here.”

           You looked at her and then smiled. “Okay.” You said and stood up, drying your hands off. “Let’s go.” You said.

 Shane walked with you towards the tents, not saying much to you. He walked you past the tents and towards the horse stables. He led you behind the stables and across a patch of grassy area, and then took you just inside the wooded area, where you could still see the camp, but it was harder for people to see you. You looked up at Shane and bit your bottom lip.

           “We didn’t come out here because you needed help, did we?” you asked him.

           “No.” he said and rubbed the back of his neck. “Y/N, I was walking towards you and Carol to try and see if you guys needed help.” He said.

           You felt a knot in your stomach as you figured out where this conversation was most likely headed. “Yeah?” you said softly.

           He looked at you for a moment. “I heard what you said to Carol about your feelings towards me.” He said.

           You looked at him for a moment before your spoke. “Shane…look if you don’t feel that way just tell me now, please?” you said softly.

           He looked at you before smirking some. “Y/N, you know I like you, I like you so much it’s probably love.” He said softly. You don’t remember a time when you saw Shane this soft and vulnerable. “But if your parents ever found out about that, they’d take me out behind the barn and shoot me.” He said softly.

           “That’s bullshit.” You said, earning a stern look from Shane. “I’m an adult, Shane, and they can’t control who I fall in love with.” You said. “I’m not going to throw away a chance to be happy in this hell we’re living in just because my parents might be mad. This world is about taking chances and if we’re not doing that, then why are we even here?” you asked him.

           He stared at you for a moment in total awe. Before you had the chance to say anything else, Shane grabbed the back of your neck and pulled your lips against his.

           After the initial shock wore off, you melted into the kiss and held the collar of his shirt. His free hand went to your lower back and pulled you flush against him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, letting out a small moan.

           When the two of you needed air, he pulled back gently and looked down at you, gently grabbing your hair in his hand. “I wanna take a chance with you.” he said softly.

           You rubbed the side of his neck with your thumb and nodded. “Me too.” You said and smiled. “We’ll deal with my parents later.” You added.

           Shane nodded and kissed you gently. “I love you, Y/N.” he said, barely above a whisper.

           “I love you too.” You smiled up at him.

 Taking chances; that’s what this new world is about.


End file.
